Calf-weaner



(No Model.)

G. DISRUD. GALE BAN R.

' I No. 572,339. I Patented Dec. 1, 1896-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GABRIEL DISRUD, OF FORWARD, WVISCONSIN.

CALF-WEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,339, dated December 1, 1896.

Application filed February 14, 1896. Serial No. 579,272. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GABRIEL DISRUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forward, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Calf- Weaner, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to calf-weaners, and has for its object to provide a device of simple construction which is light in weight and may be applied to the calf without the use of a halter or similar fastening means, and also without the disadvantages incident to the use of spring-actuated clamps for engaging the cartilage between the nostrils, said improved device being constructed of a single blank of wire or rod.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a calf-weaner constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, showing the nose-loops deflected to facilitate introduction into the nostrils. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device applied.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The improved weaner is constructed of a single blank of heavy wire or rod bent at its center to form a horizontally or transversely elongated body or main loop 1, which is open at its upper side, and the sides or arms of said loop approach to within a short distance of each other and are bent upon themselves to form inwardly-projecting alined nose-loops 2. The outer or upper sides of the nose-loops extend laterally toward the extremities of the body or main loop, and then downwardly, as at 3, to the lower side of said body or main loop, around which they are wrapped to form coils 4. The ends of the blank are extended forwardly from the coils 4 to form spurs or barbs 5.

It will be seen that the nose-loops are held in the above-described relative position, with an intervening space sufiicient to receive the cartilage between the nostrils, by the strength of the body or main loop, inasmuch as the lower side of said body or main loop is continuous or unbroken and the extension of the upper side thereof forms the lower sides of the nose-loops. Furthermore, the movement of the nose-loops from each other is prevented by the extensions 3, which cross the ends of the body or main loop and are attached by means of the coils 4 to the lower side of the same. These extensions not only prevent the movement of the loops from each other, but also prevent the elevation or depression of either of the loops in the plane of the body or main loop. Hence the only direction in which deflection of the nose-loops is possible is transverse to the plane of the body or main loop, concentric with the lower side of the body or main loop, and this relative movement of the nose-loops is resisted by the torsional strength of the portion of the blank forming the lower side of the body or main loop. The slight forward and rearward rela tive deflection of the nose-loops necessary to apply the device is illustrated in Fig. 2, and this relative movement of the nose-loops may be accomplished without permanently disarranging the nose-loops or otherwise distorting the device.

The additional weight at the lower side of the body or main loop caused by the coils 4 is sufficient to hold the weaner normally in a pendent position, as illustrated in Fig. 3; but it is obvious that upward deflection of the lower side of the body or main loop is possible to allow the animal to graze with ease.

The terminally-rounded nose-loops, which, as above described, are spaced apart sufficiently to receive the cartilage between the nostri1s,do not bear with spring action against the cartilage, and hence do not inconvenience or cause injury to the calf. The device is held in operative position by the inherent stiffness of the material, which, however, does not prevent the above-described forward and rearward deflection to facilitate application.

A slight looseness of the nose-loops in the nostrils of the calf due to varying thicknesses of the cartilage does not detract from the efficiency of the device, accidental displacement due to such looseness being impossible. Furthermore, it will be obvious that displacement of the weaner by contact with other objects is prevented by the above-mentioned stiffness of the body or main loop, which is incapable, under any strain Within the limit of the strength of the material, of yielding otherwise than in the relative forward and rearward direction mentioned.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim is- As an article of manufacture, a calf-weaner comprising a transversely-elongated spurcarrying body or main loop having a eontinuous lower and an open upper side and terminating in spaced transversely-alined nose- 

